Oil-well pump



Oct. 2s, 1930. wfF. MCMAHQN OIL WELL PUMP Filed April 25, 1926 gmwro Zeh/m @ZM M @Mmws Patented Oct. 2 8, 1930 A UNITED 'STATES 'WILLIAM F. MoKA-HON, 0F RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA OIL-WELL PUMP f application and april as,

This invention relates to oil well pumps, `that is, pumps "for raising oil from deposits within the earth. It is of the general type of pump and is used in practically the same manner as the pump disclosed in my application Serial No. 104,158, filed April 23, 1926. It is an object of the invention to provide a pump of this character which has clear fluid passageways s o that sand'or the like will not interfere with the operation thereof. v

It is also an object of the invention to provide-a pump which will have sustained eiliciency and will provide a steady flow of fluid' from the well.

Another object of the invention is to povide apump in which under normal operation there are no movable parts within 'the well and therefore, replacement costs are -reduce to a minimum.

A further object of the invention is to provide a pump which will be independent of gas pressure in the well. o v A still further object of the invention is to provide a pump system in which several oil wells at reasonable distances apart may be pumped by one power plant.

Another object is to provide-a pumping apparatus in which all machinery with moving parts is located above the ground where it can be looked after and easily inspected.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, I have devised the improved construction`illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming a pa-rt of this specification, similar reference charactersbeing employed throughout the various gures to indicate correspondin elements. In this drawing,

ig. 1 is a vertical section through an oil well, a portion of the derrick oor and base, o showing my improved pumping system ap-. plied thereto, a part of the Fpump proper being shown in elevation, and the remainder o the pump and the separating .tank being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the body member of the pum which is located inthe well, the section being substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 2 Y v Fig. 3 is 'a vertical section through thelower portion of this body member, the secassembling 1926. Serial No. 104,159.

tion being at right angles to the section of Fig. 2, as indicated by line 3f-3of Fig. 7

`ig. 4 is a transverse section through the conduits leading to the body member, the. sectioEn beingl substantially 'on line 4-4 of 55 Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are cross sections ofthe body member taken substantially on lines 5-d5, '6-6 and 7-7 respectively of Fig, 2,

n 7p. FigrS is a top plan and side 'elevation of one of the check valves.

In the drawing-10 represents the oil well which is a hole drilled from the' surface of the earth to the oil deposit. After the oil 65 deposit is penetrated the pressure raises the column of. oil to a certain level in the well which is indicated on the Mdrawing at 11.

It is into this column of oil that I lower the lower portion of my oil pump properand 70. whichl in the present instance is the body v' member 12, an this bodymember is connected with two concentric pipes 13 and 14,1eading from the vsurface of the earth, the two pipes bein spaced sufficiently' to leave a (pas- 75 sage for uidbetween them. It shoul be noted that the oil well casing itself can be used for pipe 14 if it is so desired. i i lable space with- As is well known the avai in the well is limited, and to economize in space the body 12 is'preferably of a substantially cylindrical casting. Whenv cast it is left open at itslower end for machining and purposes, and when assembled this open en is closed by a closure 15 which 35 may also have a cleanout plug 16. Within the body is a longitudinally extending centrally located oil passage 17 at the upper art thereof which has a flared open lower en 18. While I have shown this open lower end 18 9 with a flared formation, it should be noted f that this lower end 18 may be of any shape.

Just above this flare the passage is preferably provided with a restriction 19 and again vflared somewhat, as shown at 20, from this restriction xto the normal diameter of the assage. Below the inlet 18 is anozzle memerv 21 which has a restriction 22 adjacent its u per endv with flaring portions 23 and 24 a ove and below this restriction, the upper 10 flare opening through the end 'of the nozzle which is spaced a suitable distance below the flared inlet 18 and is directed to discharge into this inlet. The lower end of the nozzle communicates with the chamber in the lower end of the body, and the body has spaced transverse walls 27 and 28 through which the nozzle extends and in which it is removably mounted, the walls being provided with threaded openings and the nozzle being correspondingly threaded on its outer wall, as indicated at 29 and 30 respectively. If desired a strainer means may be placed in chamber 25 to screen the entrance to the nozzle 21. Between the walls 27 and 28 the sides of the body are open except on one side' and this opening is covered by a screen or strainer 31 secured to the body by any suitable means, such as screws 32, and thus the nozzle member .21 really passes through a chamber 33 which is open through the sides of the body and'communicates'through the screen or strainer with the well and the oil therein. The oil passage 17 is supported by a transverse wall 34 spaced above the wall 27 and also by radial walls 35 extending between the walls of this passage and the outer walls of the body, and thus the oil passage 17 1s surrounded by the water passages 36 and 37. The water passage 36 extends throughout substantially the entire length of the body and communicates at its lower end with the lower chamber 25 while the passages 37 are closed at their lower ends by the transverse wall 34 but they communicate at their lower ends with the' passage 36. y

As the wall 34 is spaced from the Wall 2 there 'is provided between them a suction or inlet chamber 38 surrounding the open lower end 18 of the oil passage 17, and the discharge end of the nozzle 21 is located in this chamber. The wall 27 is provided with curved oblong openings 39 extending through it forming communicating passages between the chamber 33 and the chamber 38 to allow passage of oil from the chamber 33 and the oil deposit to the chamber 38. These open` ings 39 are controlled by check or non-return valves 40 which have tapered lower walls 41 adapted to seat on correspondingly tapered walls forming valve seats at the upper side of the passages 39. The valves are. gluided for upward movement by suitable gui e pins 42 and their upper movements are linnted by stops 43.

The outer and inner concentric pipes 13 and 14 are connected to the upper part of the body 12, as indicated in Fig. 2, so that Y the inner pipe 13 leads to the oil'passage 17 and the space or passage 44 between these two pipes communicates with the water passages or forcing fluid 36 and 37. At the surface of the earth the outer pipe 14 1s connected by a curved elbow fitting 45 with the discharge 46 from a pump 47, preferably a duplex, double acting, reciprocating pump which will deliver a substantially constant stream of water or other suitable fluid. inner pipe 13 passes through a suitable stuffing box 48 in the fitting 45 and discharges through the curved section 49 into the sepa.- rating tank 50.

This tank is of a sufficient capacity to retain the mixture of oil and liquid, such as water, for a sufficient time to allow the water to fall to the bottom of the tank and the oil to separate and float thereon, and it is provided i witha valve controlled discharge 51 at its upper portion for the discharge of oil to a pipe line, for example. Leading from the lower part of the separating tank is a valve controlled pipe 52 leading to the inlet or suction pipe 53 of thel pump 47, and in the tank over thls discharge opening is an inclined screen 54 which is adapted to collect sand or other solid matter which may be deposited in the tank with the mixture of oil and fluid `and will prevent passage of this solid matter to the pump 47. The tank may also be provided with a valve controlled cleanout passage 55 for removal of the solid matter from the tank. A pipe 56 is connected to the pipe 52 and leads from any suitable source of compressed' air which may be used to agitate the liquid in the tank and clean the screen 54. There may alsobe a valve controlled supply 57 from any external source of water. The discharge pipe 46 of the pump 47 may also have branches 58 controlled. by suitable valves, not shown, by which discharge from the pulp may be conducted to other oil well pumps so that the same water or fluid pump may be used to operate a plurality of oil pumps. I wish to have noted atthis time that while l have heretofore mentioned water as a motive fluid it is obvious that any kind of fluid may be used as a motive fluid and used to equally good advantage.

In operation the water orfother fluid is pumped by the pump 47 in a continuous stream down the passage 44 between the two pipes 13 and 14 to the body member 12 in the oil deposit. ThisV fluid passes down the passage 36 to the chamber 25 and up through the nozzle member 21 from which it passes through the restriction 22 and into the flared open inlet end of the oil passage 17. This restriction gives anincreased speed of flow to the fluid which acts to lift oil from t-he suction chamber 38 into the passage 17 and the movement of the fluid up this passage carries the oil with it and it is discharged at the surface of the earth into the separating tank 50. After separation the water or other liquid is again drawn into the ump 47 and is used over and over. The li tino' of the oil is also assisted by the fact that when Water or similar liquid is used the oil is of a lower specific gravity and will, therefore, tend to float on the liquid and to move up the inner pipe 13 The l to the surface. Of course, as oil is withdrawn from the chamber 38 other oil is drawn into' this chamber from the deposit through the check valves 40 so that in normal operation these valves remain Vin the upper or open position and close only when the stream of pumped liquid ceases. They close` .by their own weight as soon as this flow stops, and

therefore, prevent any water passing .from

the pump' out into the oil deposit. Thisis a very important feature as flow of water into the deposit will stop the flow of oil. It should be noted however that when using a motive y fluid other than water these said check valves 40 maybe eliminated if desired and the pump will function equally as well.

The concentric arrangement of the supply and discharge pi es 13 and 14 requires a minimum of space or the same capacit in the vcntion, what I claim'is:

` passage extending from'the upper portion of the body to the lower chamber, and inlet and" 1.- In an oil well pumpfor rai-sing oil from Y l ldeposits in the earth, a body adapted to be placed in the deposit and having a substantially central longitudinally extending oilpassage in the upper portion thereof provided with a flared o eir lower end, spaced cross walls in the'bo y forming a chamber with which said lower end communicates, another cross wall spaced below the other walls forming a chamber opening throu h the sidev walls o the body, and a chamber elow said wall, a separate' nozzle extending1 through said two lower walls having a disc arge end in the upper chamber directed into the open end of the oil-passa e and communicating at its lower end with t ie lower chamber, the inytermediate cross wallA having an opening forming a communication between the first two chambers, a check valve in said openin toy prevent reverse flow therethrough,a flui discharge pipes connected to the fluid and oil passa es respectively. v

2. ii an oil wellpunip for raising oil from deposits iii the earth, a body .adapted to be placed in the .deposit and having a` substantially central longitudinally extending oil passage in the upper orti'on thereof provided with a flared open ower end, spaced cross walls in the body forming a chamber with which said lower end communicates, another cross wall spaced below the other walls formtermediate cha ing a chamber opening through the side Walls of the body and a chamber below said wall, a

removable 'closure forthe lower end of said body and forming the lower' end of saidv chamber, a separate nozzle extending through and lthreaded to the two lower cross Walls and communicating at its llower end with said lower chamber, said nozzle having a discharge end in the rup er chamber directed into the lower open endp of the oil passage, the intermediate cross wall having an elongated opening 4therethrough connecting the first and second chambers, an elongated check valve for controlling said opening to prevent f reverse flow therethrough,l a motive fluid passage extending longitudinally of the body from the upper portiomthereof to said lower chamber, and liquid supply and discharge pipes connected respectively to the motive V fluid and oil passages.

3. In an oil well pump for raising oil from deposits in the earth, a body adapted to lbe placed in the said deposit comprising an elongated substantially cylindrical Acasing closed at its lowerend by a removable closure, said body having means in its upper portion for threaded engagement with two concentric conduits, said bod having three substantially transverse wal s between the said upper and lower ends forming threechambers, namel lan upper chamber, an insubstantially central longitudinally extending liquid passage in the upper portion of the bodyprovided with-a flared open end and connecting one of the said conduits with thesaid upper chamber, a fluid passage comprising a nozzle formation directed to discharge into the open end of the said substantially central longitudinally extending liquid passage and extendin through the intermediate chamber and orming a communication between the said upper and lower chambers, a cored fluid passage extending longitudinally of the body from the upper end thereof to the said lower chamber, said fluid passage being located independent of and to one side ofthe said upper andintermediate chainbers, a nonreturn valve controlling communication between the upper and interme- ,diate chambers, saidv intermediate chamber opening through the side of the body to\tl1/e deposit and encased with a screen, and fluid supply and discharge pipes connected'to the upper end of the fluid and liquid passages respectivcly.

4. In an oil pump for raising oil from de- -posits in the earth, a body, adapted to be placed in the said deposit, comprising longitudinally extending passages, one of the said passages comprising a venturi with an open end, an i'nlet passage leadin from 'the deposit to the said'open end, a cham er below said inlet passage comprising a removable closure, a second passage extending longitudinally of er and a lower chamber, a-

the body to the said chamber, said chamber having a removable discharge nozzle leading therefrom and directed to discharge into the said open end of the venturi, and conduits connected to the body and leading from the said passages.

In testimony whereof I afix my signature.

VILLIAM F. MCMAHON. 

